Jasmine (not real name) is a 54-year-old Indonesian lady. Her problem started with bleeding. The doctor was not sure if it was from the anus or the female reproductive organ. Jasmine consulted a gynaecologist who told her that her uterus was “dirty” and may need cleaning up (whatever that means!). Jasmine did nothing after that.

Some months later, while at home, Jasmine could not stand up. She was also bleeding. The doctor diagnosed the problem as vertigo (dizzy spell and feeling off balance).

A few months later, Jasmine went to see a doctor in Medan who performed a digital rectal examination. He felt a mass in there! Jasmine was asked to undergo an operation.

Jasmine and her family came to Penang for further consultation. Her blood test results showed CEA = 247.03 and CA 19.9 = 72.2. Jasmine was also told that her cancer had already spread to her liver. She immediately underwent an operation in Hospital A. The procedure cost her RM 60,000 plus.

The pathology report indicated:

A moderately differentiated adeocarcinoma with metastases in pericolic lymph nodes (11/11) and segment 4a of liver. This was a T3N2Mx, Stage 4 cancer.

Did you tell the oncologist that the surgeon in Hospital A said that by undergoing 8 cycles of chemo it would cure your mother?

Daughter: Yes, I told the oncologist what the doctor in Hospital A said. He said just kept quiet. He said nothing!

Lesson number two I learned this morning — Someone is not telling the whole truth! Two doctors did not give the same answer for doing the same treatment! That much about the so called “scientific medicine.”

So patients, know that you are responsible for yourself. You have to find truth yourself. You can’t depend on others to tell you what you need to know!

So what is the truth in this story? You will know later. But in the meantime, please ponder carefully the following quotations said by doctors themselves: